(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication test device, and more particularly, to a communication test device for conducting a communication test on a repeater connected to networks.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Currently, IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) as a communication protocol is switching over to IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6), in order to cope with an increasing number of Internet users. Thus, communication devices supporting IPv6 in general also support IPv4 (communication devices supporting both IPv6 and IPv4 are called IPv4/v6 dual stacks). The trend will last until IPv6 becomes widespread, and IPv4/v6 dual stacks are expected to be the next mainstream. In this connection, an input-output synchronization method for Internet protocol version conversion has been proposed which facilitates the switching of network protocol version numbers and also permits the communication with a computer whose version has been switched over to a new number as well as the use of new applications while maintaining the service of the original version (see Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-40041 (paragraph nos. [0017] to [0049], FIGS. 3 to 5), for example).
In order for IPv4/v6 dual-stack communication devices to be able to communicate using the communication protocol IPv6 or IPv4, it is essential that repeaters connected to networks, such as routers, switches and hubs, should be able to communicate in conformity with both the communication protocols IPv4 and IPv6. A translator technique or a tunneling technique (technique of tunneling IPv6 over IPv4) has therefore been adopted to enable repeaters to communicate in conformity with both the communication protocols IPv6 and IPv4.
Thus, repeaters supporting two kinds of communication protocols have come into use, and there has been a demand for communication test devices capable of conducting a communication test on repeaters supporting two different communication protocols.